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Crucified on a Cross of Benjamins

Submitted by arendt on Fri, 02/15/2019 - 11:31am

One can only be gobsmacked by the Orwellian tactic of claiming that a quotidian phrase, uttered by millions for decades, has suddenly become an anti-Semitic insult. ("Its all about the Benjamin's, baby.") This is weaponized sophistry, aka casuistry. If we go down this road, saying "I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole." is going to be construed as anti-Polish. The metaphor of the boiling frog will be taken as an insult to French mentality.

The obvious (to me) response to the fabricated and orchestrated outrage about Representative Ilhan Omar's remark is to send her a $100 bill. If she is going to be crucified on a cross of Benjamins, she might as well have some of them.

If you can't afford $100 by yourself, get ten people together and collectively buy one bill. If CIA Markos can send Pelosi roses, we can send Omar Benjamins.

If interrogated, you can cover your ass by saying you are "mocking" her statement, that you are really "insulting" her. You can say that sending her piles of money makes her "look corrupt". Those claims are about as true as the Jesuitical shitstorm that has been unleashed on this truth teller. Its just another artillery barrage in the long war to destroy political speech by anyone without billions.

In the age of identity politics, its no accident that TPTB decide to pull this ham-fisted stunt on a naturalized, Moslem citizen. Representative Omar is not to be known by her politics, but only by her "anti-Semitism", her gender, her religion, and the "otherness" of her foreign birth.[NOTE] The fake liberals who defend so many corporate-friendly women politicos, like Hillary, as victims and agitate for open borders are nowhere to be found. In fact, they have joined in the attack on Representative Omar. If you needed any evidence that IdPol is nothing more than selective outrage, the response in this case is it.

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I have watched, over a half a century, as the rightwing politicians in Israel (a political entity, not a religious or ethnic group) have moved the goalposts on what are acceptable topics and what is acceptable speech all over the world. This tactic was even used on Jewish opposition, who became "self-loathing Jews" - a diagnosis worthy of Soviet psychologists. The word "anti-Semitism" has become nothing more than an excuse to attack anyone criticizing the policies of a nation state.

Its use is akin to the equally abused "right to protect" that the US invokes in the name of some nebulous "victims" so that it can bomb the shit out of some country that didn't bow to our demands. Clearly Israel's lobbying bribery is different than all the other countries and companies bribing the US government and not an acceptable topic - because - even more than the US - Israel is an exceptional nation. That's why the first bill passed by the Senate this year was to criminalize BDS. They want to tear up our Constitution (free speech) and our history (Boston Tea Party) to appease the theocratic right in Israel.

The attack on Representative Omar represents an attempt by Israel, via AIPAC, to nail the coffin lid shut and bury forever anyone's right - even a seated member of Congress - to criticize Israel on the basis of facts acknowledged to be true by everyone, even Israel. To wit, that Washington, DC is a corrupt sewer where "money talks and bullshit walks", and it has been one long before that phrase was coined in the late 1970s.

When propagandists vaporize the meaning of words and airbrush history with nonsense like "the Benjamins", the possibility of rational debate is destroyed. There can only be "pick a side and fight". You can see these tactics of victimhood on display in the ongoing attempt of Netanyahu to get the US to do his dirty work and save his political ass by starting a war with Iran:

"What is important about this meeting - and it is not in secret because there are many of those - is that this is an open meeting with representatives of leading Arab countries, that are sitting down together with Israel in order to advance the common interest of war with Iran."

It doesn't look like the AIPAC propagandists and other Israel-firsters are going to de-escalate their delusional and dangerous rhetoric, so I'm pretty much down to picking a side. And its not going to be the side of propagandists covering for a murderous apartheid regime and selling out my freedom of speech in the process. To be fair, there is a substantial segment of the US Jewish community that is anti-Netanyahu and increasingly disgusted with the hard-right and openly racist tilt of Israeli politics. I'm with them.

Now I will sit back and wait for the accusations of anti-Semitism. I can't be self-loathing because I'm not Jewish.

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NOTE: Using a scary "other" is a standard tactic when TPTB want to steal more of our rights. For example, they picked the Latino criminal Jose Padilla when they effectivelydestroyed our right to Habeus Corpus. Habeus corpus is very relevant today, as Trump's declaration of emergency would allow him to suspend that foundation of our jurisprudence for everyone, not just so called enemy combatants.

@Granma
a rap song by Puff Daddy and the Family that deals, in a very crude way, with the importance of money. In doing so, she was saying that the influence of AIPAC was all about money. There was absolutely nothing anti-semitic about the tweet, but she was attacked by the Dem leadership proving that it is, indeed, All about the Benjamins, Baby.

@Roy Blakeley
It requires you to assume the worst about the person speaking.
It's a f'd up way to living.

#1 a rap song by Puff Daddy and the Family that deals, in a very crude way, with the importance of money. In doing so, she was saying that the influence of AIPAC was all about money. There was absolutely nothing anti-semitic about the tweet, but she was attacked by the Dem leadership proving that it is, indeed, All about the Benjamins, Baby.

a few years back, when people who didn't know what it meant or where it came from (Old English and Norse) decided it was a slur against a group of people because it sounded similar to a common slur. It is also similar to the recent instance of a "journalist" using the term "toady" to smear someone and when called on it they proved to have no idea what the term meant.

Some of it is just the usual craven cowardice we've come to expect from our elected reps. Some of it is "leadership" threatening the ranks and file. Some of it is about the US Grants trolled through the house and senate, because they can buy legislators pretty cheap.

In the end it's what you first pointed out, bought and paid for government propaganda, Radio Free America. It doesn't need to make sense. It just needs to drown out everything else.

by the Democrats (and the GOP... same thing) was a perfect example of the arrival of blasphemy laws in the US. It was only a matter of time. I saw it happening on DKos, only they had a much long list of blasphemies.

I was VERY glad to see Bernie Sanders make an effort to support Ilhan Omar publicly. He'll no doubt suffer for that one... except I think most Americans would agree with him.

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"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin

We are ruled by fundamentalists. Fundamentalist Christians in the US. Fundamentalist Sunni Moslems in KSA. Fundamentalist Jews in Israel.

It is as natural as the sun rising that a fundamentalist would cry "blasphemy".

by the Democrats (and the GOP... same thing) was a perfect example of the arrival of blasphemy laws in the US. It was only a matter of time. I saw it happening on DKos, only they had a much long list of blasphemies.

I was VERY glad to see Bernie Sanders make an effort to support Ilhan Omar publicly. He'll no doubt suffer for that one... except I think most Americans would agree with him.

those who would work to stifle opinion because it doesn't fit their particular political narrative. This is what I started seeing on DKos for the last couple of years before I left. Plus the DNC runs a good game of political fundamentalism, and that is what Nancy Pelosi applied to Ilhan Omar.

She has a history of anti-Semitic tweets and associates and does NOT deserve the benefit of the doubt.

This whole issue represents a bigger issue.

A bigot is a bigot, UNLESS they agree with me politically.

Also it is amazing that it is unacceptable for a white person to tell a POC what is racially offensive or not, but many non-Jewish people think they actually DESERVE to tell us what is or isn't offensive

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When I was a kid, Republicans used to red scare people, now it's the Democrats. I am getting too damn old for this crap!

The issue is whether this particular tweet justified the measures taken. The issue is whether it is allowed to in any way cross AIPAC and the Israeli lobby.

You are demanding that she be blacklisted for this particular tweet. Define anti-semitic. Prove this tweet is anti-semitic by your definition or all you have is talking points.

A bigot is a bigot, UNLESS they agree with me politically.

All you have are labels. She's anti-semitic. She's a bigot. How about proving your accusations? You know, with facts and stuff.

Also it is amazing that it is unacceptable for a white person to tell a POC what is racially offensive or not, but many non-Jewish people think they actually DESERVE to tell us what is or isn't offensive

Exactly on cue: IdPol whining about your specialness vs POC specialness. Not playing the IdPol "my victimhood is bigger than your victimhood" game of divisiveness. Speak to her tweet, don't deflect it into a victimhood contest.

She has a history of anti-Semitic tweets and associates and does NOT deserve the benefit of the doubt.

This whole issue represents a bigger issue.

A bigot is a bigot, UNLESS they agree with me politically.

Also it is amazing that it is unacceptable for a white person to tell a POC what is racially offensive or not, but many non-Jewish people think they actually DESERVE to tell us what is or isn't offensive

The issue is whether this particular tweet justified the measures taken. The issue is whether it is allowed to in any way cross AIPAC and the Israeli lobby.

You are demanding that she be blacklisted for this particular tweet. Define anti-semitic. Prove this tweet is anti-semitic by your definition or all you have is talking points.

A bigot is a bigot, UNLESS they agree with me politically.

All you have are labels. She's anti-semitic. She's a bigot. How about proving your accusations? You know, with facts and stuff.

Also it is amazing that it is unacceptable for a white person to tell a POC what is racially offensive or not, but many non-Jewish people think they actually DESERVE to tell us what is or isn't offensive

Exactly on cue: IdPol whining about your specialness vs POC specialness. Not playing the IdPol "my victimhood is bigger than your victimhood" game of divisiveness. Speak to her tweet, don't deflect it into a victimhood contest.

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When I was a kid, Republicans used to red scare people, now it's the Democrats. I am getting too damn old for this crap!

@RejectingThe3rdWay@RejectingThe3rdWay
"....Her tweet about the power of AIPAC does not state anything multiple other commentators had not acknowledged years before. In the stormy aftermath of her post, many have noted that Thomas Friedman himself quipped in 2011 that the standing ovation Benjamin Netanyahu received in US Congress had nothing to do with his charisma or eloquence, but was “paid for by the Israel lobby.” AIPAC itself, on its website, speaks of making donations to US politicians. Omar was not “exposing” some deeply-concealed secret, she was stating a very well known fact. But unlike Friedman, she was being critical of it, and she was doing so from within Congress. As Sandra Tamari of the Adalah Justice Project posted on Facebook: “Palestinian organizers have won the left. We’ve won campuses. We’ve won other communities of color. Ilhan is being attacked because we are destined to win Congress.”

The fierceness of the attacks on Omar is indicative of the panic of Zionists of all stripes (yes, there is a broad spectrum) over the fact that we now have courageous incoming politicians who denounce the Israel Lobby, and are determined to center, and end, Palestinian suffering. Ilhan Omar was not taken to task, “reprimanded” (what an offensive term) because of a poor choice of words. She is being hounded for the cause she embraces. No eloquence, no refined terminology, would make Palestine palatable to Zionists. They are coming after her, just as they came after every public intellectual, every activist, every organizer, who ascended to a public podium and advocated justice for Palestine. And her being a black, Muslim, immigrant woman puts her under increased scrutiny.

You source mondoweiss and even DKOS noted it was anti-Semitic until it chased off every last Pro-Israeli supporter off their site. Yes I know who runs it, a KAPO

#8.1.1.1.1#8.1.1.1.1 "....Her tweet about the power of AIPAC does not state anything multiple other commentators had not acknowledged years before. In the stormy aftermath of her post, many have noted that Thomas Friedman himself quipped in 2011 that the standing ovation Benjamin Netanyahu received in US Congress had nothing to do with his charisma or eloquence, but was “paid for by the Israel lobby.” AIPAC itself, on its website, speaks of making donations to US politicians. Omar was not “exposing” some deeply-concealed secret, she was stating a very well known fact. But unlike Friedman, she was being critical of it, and she was doing so from within Congress. As Sandra Tamari of the Adalah Justice Project posted on Facebook: “Palestinian organizers have won the left. We’ve won campuses. We’ve won other communities of color. Ilhan is being attacked because we are destined to win Congress.”

The fierceness of the attacks on Omar is indicative of the panic of Zionists of all stripes (yes, there is a broad spectrum) over the fact that we now have courageous incoming politicians who denounce the Israel Lobby, and are determined to center, and end, Palestinian suffering. Ilhan Omar was not taken to task, “reprimanded” (what an offensive term) because of a poor choice of words. She is being hounded for the cause she embraces. No eloquence, no refined terminology, would make Palestine palatable to Zionists. They are coming after her, just as they came after every public intellectual, every activist, every organizer, who ascended to a public podium and advocated justice for Palestine. And her being a black, Muslim, immigrant woman puts her under increased scrutiny.

I sure hope that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, understands that the standing ovation he got in Congress this year was not for his politics. That ovation was bought and paid for by the Israel lobby.

Thomas Friedman was citing one specific event. I disagree with him on that.
However, while Thomas Friedman cited a specific event, Rep Omar made a vast generalization that was basically stero-typing. There is a huge difference.

Also Rep Omar associates with known anti-Semitic people and PACs like CAIR and as such lost any credibility she had on the issue.

I sure hope that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, understands that the standing ovation he got in Congress this year was not for his politics. That ovation was bought and paid for by the Israel lobby.

Thomas Friedman was citing one specific event. I disagree with him on that.
However, while Thomas Friedman cited a specific event, Rep Omar made a vast generalization that was basically stero-typing. There is a huge difference.

Also Rep Omar associates with known anti-Semitic people and PACs like CAIR and as such lost any credibility she had on the issue.

@RejectingThe3rdWay@RejectingThe3rdWay
Meanwhile you just attack the source and will not discus the content with any facts in order to rebut anything which is obviously par for the course with you.
Lastly, I will not engage with you any further because it is obviously pointless based what I've seen on this thread.
But here is one last word for you to chew on "apartheid", which is certainly under which the Palestinians struggle to survive, especially when Israel feels like "mowing the grass" again in the largest open air prison earth.

A kapo or prisoner functionary (German: Funktionshäftling, see § Etymology) was a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp who was assigned by the SS guards to supervise forced labor or carry out administrative tasks.

I guess he could have said no, and been made an example of. Or, maybe he was the one assigned after an example was made of the one before him. I don't know, but I won't dismiss what he says simply because he did what he had to in order to survive.

What she said to Jewish leaders in the past is not relevant to the simple seven word tweet.

Objecting to who she associates with is classic McCarthyism. The DHS has been busy dragnetting anyone who walked down the same street with a Russian. Association is not guilt. You continue to smear her instead of addressing the issue of AIPAC.

@RejectingThe3rdWay
But I have to ask you if Jews are the only people in the world that a) you can't mention money to? and b) are all directly linked to a superPAC, so that if you insult the superPAC then you insult all Jewish people?

I'm curious, because this would explain a lot.

She has a history of anti-Semitic tweets and associates and does NOT deserve the benefit of the doubt.

This whole issue represents a bigger issue.

A bigot is a bigot, UNLESS they agree with me politically.

Also it is amazing that it is unacceptable for a white person to tell a POC what is racially offensive or not, but many non-Jewish people think they actually DESERVE to tell us what is or isn't offensive

a) As to the money issue, it should be handled with great care due to the historic connotations that have been used against the Jewish people.

b) When people point out the terrorist ties to CAIR and the people who receive money from that PAC including Ilhan, many people scream islamophobia. So my question is which is it? If it is islamophobia to call out CAIR then it is anti-Semitic to call out AIPAC which is not even actually a PAC unlike CAIR

#8
But I have to ask you if Jews are the only people in the world that a) you can't mention money to? and b) are all directly linked to a superPAC, so that if you insult the superPAC then you insult all Jewish people?

I'm curious, because this would explain a lot.

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When I was a kid, Republicans used to red scare people, now it's the Democrats. I am getting too damn old for this crap!

That means "No, don't talk about money. And if you do talk about it, and I don't like what you say, even if its true, then you are an anti-semite."
At least you are being honest anyway. I'll give you credit for that.

b) When people point out the terrorist ties to CAIR...

Yeh, don't care of whataboutism.
My question about AIPAC. Why is an insult of AIPAC equal to an insult of all Jewish people?
What other lobbying group in the world is that true for?
Personally I feel that anyone who thinks this way is endangering Jews around the world.

a) As to the money issue, it should be handled with great care due to the historic connotations that have been used against the Jewish people.

b) When people point out the terrorist ties to CAIR and the people who receive money from that PAC including Ilhan, many people scream islamophobia. So my question is which is it? If it is islamophobia to call out CAIR then it is anti-Semitic to call out AIPAC which is not even actually a PAC unlike CAIR

That means "No, don't talk about money. And if you do talk about it, and I don't like what you say, even if its true, then you are an anti-semite."
At least you are being honest anyway. I'll give you credit for that.

b) When people point out the terrorist ties to CAIR...

Yeh, don't care of whataboutism.
My question about AIPAC. Why is an insult of AIPAC equal to an insult of all Jewish people?
What other lobbying group in the world is that true for?
Personally I feel that anyone who thinks this way is endangering Jews around the world.

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When I was a kid, Republicans used to red scare people, now it's the Democrats. I am getting too damn old for this crap!

@RejectingThe3rdWay
Every response you make here that doesn't address my question, and is the topic of this essay, I will respond in exactly this way.
Either address AIPAC or don't respond. It's your choice.

The mission of AIPAC is to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel.

What is wrong with that? To protect US and an ally. If you don't like that I guess you don't like NATO

AIPAC empowers pro-Israel activists across all ages, religions, races and political parties to be politically engaged and build relationships with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to promote the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Other minority groups in the US do the same thing and also support another country (like CAIR and the fictional country of palestine, immigration groups and their ties to latin American countries)

You just don't like AIPAC because of who they go to bat for

#8.2.1.1.1
Every response you make here that doesn't address my question, and is the topic of this essay, I will respond in exactly this way.
Either address AIPAC or don't respond. It's your choice.

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When I was a kid, Republicans used to red scare people, now it's the Democrats. I am getting too damn old for this crap!

ISRAEL

(and the united states)

The mission of AIPAC is to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel.

What is wrong with that? To protect US and an ally. If you don't like that I guess you don't like NATO

AIPAC empowers pro-Israel activists across all ages, religions, races and political parties to be politically engaged and build relationships with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to promote the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Other minority groups in the US do the same thing and also support another country (like CAIR and the fictional country of palestine, immigration groups and their ties to latin American countries)

The mission of AIPAC is to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel.

In that case they're failing, because they've done nothing but hurt the security of the U.S.

AIPAC empowers pro-Israel activists across all ages, religions, races and political parties to be politically engaged and build relationships with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to promote the U.S.-Israel relationship.

That's B.S. too.
AIPAC is a Likud-GOP lobby. Nothing more.
AIPAC and Likud don't even represent a majority of American Jews. I wrote about this extensively here.

Other minority groups in the US do the same thing and also support another country

But only two lobbying groups, AIPAC and the Saudi lobbying group bribe our politicians with enough money that we send American boys off to fight and die in their wars.

You just don't like AIPAC because of who they go to bat for

Yes, I don't like the GOP and Likud running America's foreign policy. You got one thing right.

The mission of AIPAC is to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel.

What is wrong with that? To protect US and an ally. If you don't like that I guess you don't like NATO

AIPAC empowers pro-Israel activists across all ages, religions, races and political parties to be politically engaged and build relationships with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to promote the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Other minority groups in the US do the same thing and also support another country (like CAIR and the fictional country of palestine, immigration groups and their ties to latin American countries)

@RejectingThe3rdWay
That's not what Jewish orgs in thought in WWI. I know you threw the word "country" in there, but it doesn't matter. "Palestine" is part of world history whether you like it or not. A war was going on, and these orgs were taking donations for the "restoration" of, and promoting travel to, a "fictional" land they called "Palestine".

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I forgot to put the url to the one I already posted because after a FireFox update, and my attempt to set duckduckgo as my default over shitty google, my browser took a crap and closed everything on me. Lots of interesting posters on this site.https://www.firstworldwar.com/posters/usa.htm

The mission of AIPAC is to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel.

What is wrong with that? To protect US and an ally. If you don't like that I guess you don't like NATO

AIPAC empowers pro-Israel activists across all ages, religions, races and political parties to be politically engaged and build relationships with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to promote the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Other minority groups in the US do the same thing and also support another country (like CAIR and the fictional country of palestine, immigration groups and their ties to latin American countries)

a) As to the money issue, it should be handled with great care due to the historic connotations that have been used against the Jewish people.

b) When people point out the terrorist ties to CAIR and the people who receive money from that PAC including Ilhan, many people scream islamophobia. So my question is which is it? If it is islamophobia to call out CAIR then it is anti-Semitic to call out AIPAC which is not even actually a PAC unlike CAIR

a) As to the money issue, it should be handled with great care due to the historic connotations that have been used against the Jewish people.

b) When people point out the terrorist ties to CAIR and the people who receive money from that PAC including Ilhan, many people scream islamophobia. So my question is which is it? If it is islamophobia to call out CAIR then it is anti-Semitic to call out AIPAC which is not even actually a PAC unlike CAIR

Newcomer Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a Somali-American, drew widespread condemnation for a tweet last Sunday implying Congressional support for Israel has been bought by money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a lobbying group that supports the U.S.-Israel relationship.

"It's all about the Benjamins baby," Omar tweeted late Sunday, asserting that politicians' support of Israel is driven by money.

She touched off a firestorm of complaints from Democratic and Republican leaders alike, including Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland. Omar's comment invoked offensive tropes about money or "Benjamins" a reference to $100 bills — that are often used against Jewish people.
...
The weeklong dust-up underscored growing divisions within a Democratic Party that for decades provided unalloyed support to the state of Israel but that now must adjust to skepticism within its ranks about the Israeli government and that country's policies towards the Palestinians. Trump and other Republican leaders are attempting to use their insistence on unqualified support for Israel as a litmus test to drive a wedge through the Democrats, according to media reports.

Its my guess that you are just posting this as a statement about the issue, and not agreeing with it. Please let me know if I have guessed correctly.

Omar's comment invoked offensive tropes about money or "Benjamins" a reference to $100 bills — that are often used against Jewish people.

Over the past two centuries, Jews have been accused of everything under the sun. Does that make Israel in 2019 (after 50 years of increasingly outrageous behavior) immune to any criticism at all? My point here is that the accusation is against AIPAC, an arm of the Israeli government whose purpose is to dispense money, not the handy "Jewish people" misdirection that Israel hides behind.

How is saying that an organization whose purpose is to spend money to influence politics is doing exactly that "antisemitic"?

Newcomer Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a Somali-American, drew widespread condemnation for a tweet last Sunday implying Congressional support for Israel has been bought by money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a lobbying group that supports the U.S.-Israel relationship.

"It's all about the Benjamins baby," Omar tweeted late Sunday, asserting that politicians' support of Israel is driven by money.

She touched off a firestorm of complaints from Democratic and Republican leaders alike, including Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland. Omar's comment invoked offensive tropes about money or "Benjamins" a reference to $100 bills — that are often used against Jewish people.
...
The weeklong dust-up underscored growing divisions within a Democratic Party that for decades provided unalloyed support to the state of Israel but that now must adjust to skepticism within its ranks about the Israeli government and that country's policies towards the Palestinians. Trump and other Republican leaders are attempting to use their insistence on unqualified support for Israel as a litmus test to drive a wedge through the Democrats, according to media reports.

Its my guess that you are just posting this as a statement about the issue, and not agreeing with it. Please let me know if I have guessed correctly.

Omar's comment invoked offensive tropes about money or "Benjamins" a reference to $100 bills — that are often used against Jewish people.

Over the past two centuries, Jews have been accused of everything under the sun. Does that make Israel in 2019 (after 50 years of increasingly outrageous behavior) immune to any criticism at all? My point here is that the accusation is against AIPAC, an arm of the Israeli government whose purpose is to dispense money, not the handy "Jewish people" misdirection that Israel hides behind.

How is saying that an organization whose purpose is to spend money to influence politics is doing exactly that "antisemitic"?

And even American-based groups that debunk the current Red Scare ARE being pressured to register as "foreign agents". (Yeah I suppose that's "whataboutism" too, but it shows that the rules are not being applied equally or fairly.)

@RejectingThe3rdWay
They lobby(hard) for a FOREIGN ENTITY. They take USian aid money and turn around and Bribe USian Congress critters(and journalists and think tanks and lawyers and propaganda[pr] firms). What other.nations leader has addressed a joint session of congress-even Jaime FUCKing Dimond hasn’t done That! When I refer to money and congress whether for a foreign entity Or a corporation(redundant) I give less than a rats ass Where it’s from-Get It The Fuck Out. They work Directly against the will of the USian people and interests.
They ain’t My Friends.

If you want to read Chris Hedges, once a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist working for the NYT, you have to go to RT. Hedges is still Hedges. The NYT has changed.

Abbey Martin went to Venezuela and demonstrated inaccuracies in mainstream media reporting. She was told by our allies, the freedom fighters, that they'd burn her to death if she didn't get out. Apparently, she's a Russian agent too.

That means "No, don't talk about money. And if you do talk about it, and I don't like what you say, even if its true, then you are an anti-semite."
At least you are being honest anyway. I'll give you credit for that.

b) When people point out the terrorist ties to CAIR...

Yeh, don't care of whataboutism.
My question about AIPAC. Why is an insult of AIPAC equal to an insult of all Jewish people?
What other lobbying group in the world is that true for?
Personally I feel that anyone who thinks this way is endangering Jews around the world.

#8.1.1.1.1.1.1#8.1.1.1.1.1.1 Meanwhile you just attack the source and will not discus the content with any facts in order to rebut anything which is obviously par for the course with you.
Lastly, I will not engage with you any further because it is obviously pointless based what I've seen on this thread.
But here is one last word for you to chew on "apartheid", which is certainly under which the Palestinians struggle to survive, especially when Israel feels like "mowing the grass" again in the largest open air prison earth.

Its my guess that you are just posting this as a statement about the issue, and not agreeing with it. Please let me know if I have guessed correctly.

Omar's comment invoked offensive tropes about money or "Benjamins" a reference to $100 bills — that are often used against Jewish people.

Over the past two centuries, Jews have been accused of everything under the sun. Does that make Israel in 2019 (after 50 years of increasingly outrageous behavior) immune to any criticism at all? My point here is that the accusation is against AIPAC, an arm of the Israeli government whose purpose is to dispense money, not the handy "Jewish people" misdirection that Israel hides behind.

How is saying that an organization whose purpose is to spend money to influence politics is doing exactly that "antisemitic"?

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When I was a kid, Republicans used to red scare people, now it's the Democrats. I am getting too damn old for this crap!

And, shifting to a demand for someone else to define pro-Palestinian is yet another deflection from my original demand to you to define anti-Semitism.

And there's a big difference, because anti-semitism is a hate crime, whereas pro-Palestinian is merely a call for some respect for a people who have been caged like animals and shot at for forty years.

for its war crimes and crimes against humanity? After all we are constantly being told that this is a Christian nation.

When I criticize Israel it's for its treatment of Palestinians and when I criticize AIPAC it's because of the power that it holds over our government. The 4 part video that Al Jazeera made goes into detail about how anyone who doesn't support Israel is not allowed in congress and if they screw up they are bounced out.

Its my guess that you are just posting this as a statement about the issue, and not agreeing with it. Please let me know if I have guessed correctly.

Omar's comment invoked offensive tropes about money or "Benjamins" a reference to $100 bills — that are often used against Jewish people.

Over the past two centuries, Jews have been accused of everything under the sun. Does that make Israel in 2019 (after 50 years of increasingly outrageous behavior) immune to any criticism at all? My point here is that the accusation is against AIPAC, an arm of the Israeli government whose purpose is to dispense money, not the handy "Jewish people" misdirection that Israel hides behind.

How is saying that an organization whose purpose is to spend money to influence politics is doing exactly that "antisemitic"?

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America is a pathetic nation; a fascist state fueled by the greed, malice, and stupidity of her own people.
- strife delivery

for its war crimes and crimes against humanity? After all we are constantly being told that this is a Christian nation.

When I criticize Israel it's for its treatment of Palestinians and when I criticize AIPAC it's because of the power that it holds over our government. The 4 part video that Al Jazeera made goes into detail about how anyone who doesn't support Israel is not allowed in congress and if they screw up they are bounced out.

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When I was a kid, Republicans used to red scare people, now it's the Democrats. I am getting too damn old for this crap!

for its war crimes and crimes against humanity? After all we are constantly being told that this is a Christian nation.

When I criticize Israel it's for its treatment of Palestinians and when I criticize AIPAC it's because of the power that it holds over our government. The 4 part video that Al Jazeera made goes into detail about how anyone who doesn't support Israel is not allowed in congress and if they screw up they are bounced out.

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When I was a kid, Republicans used to red scare people, now it's the Democrats. I am getting too damn old for this crap!

(and I'm sure they will, since there's so much paranoia rampant nowadays), it's actually a paraphrase of William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech from the old "Free Silver" days (Bryan was a "Free Silver" man and could see how much the Gold-Only standard was hurting the common people).

(Nowadays, of course, the standard is "Government Say-So", and it is proving to be no better for the common people.)

I had thought that (at least the title of that) Bryant speech was about as well known to Americans as Lincoln's Gettysburg address.

You would have to be quite a pretzel maker to turn the title into anti-semitism.

But, these days, who knows.

(and I'm sure they will, since there's so much paranoia rampant nowadays), it's actually a paraphrase of William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech from the old "Free Silver" days (Bryan was a "Free Silver" man and could see how much the Gold-Only standard was hurting the common people).

(Nowadays, of course, the standard is "Government Say-So", and it is proving to be no better for the common people.)

I had thought that (at least the title of that) Bryant speech was about as well known to Americans as Lincoln's Gettysburg address.

You would have to be quite a pretzel maker to turn the title into anti-semitism.

But, these days, who knows.

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4 users have voted.

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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01, a Boeing 757 (AA Flight 77) flew into the Pentagon.
If you can't accept these indisputable facts, I can't fake an interest in your opinions about anything else.

I had read this, but could not fit it into the flow of rebutting Mr. Rejecting's smear job.

If we could throw any light on the subject, the mutual contempt that the Christian and Jewish fundamentalists have for each other would gie us plenty of ammunition to use against them both. Too bad the corporate media keeps this topic in a bank vault. Takes a Chris Floyd to bring it up.

And I'm sorry to see it was overrun by someone who apparently has impulse control issues with people he disagrees with.

It's a shame because the subject matter is politically relevant if for no other reason than the purpose it serves to collectively push back against those who feel discussing Israel in any other way but positively is somehow the third rail equivalent of rabid anti-semitism.

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4 users have voted.

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If we surrendered to earth's intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees
~ Rainer Maria Rilke

@Anja Geitz
issues. i think the poster has a very clear agenda, and is carrying out a well-controlled rhetorical assault on behalf of that agenda.

the poster certainly has a problem, but i won't let him off the hook by labeling it as a general behavioral quirk.

And I'm sorry to see it was overrun by someone who apparently has impulse control issues with people he disagrees with.

It's a shame because the subject matter is politically relevant if for no other reason than the purpose it serves to collectively push back against those who feel discussing Israel in any other way but positively is somehow the third rail equivalent of rabid anti-semitism.

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1 user has voted.

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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01, a Boeing 757 (AA Flight 77) flew into the Pentagon.
If you can't accept these indisputable facts, I can't fake an interest in your opinions about anything else.

I felt implying something more, was, er, indelicate, so I gave them the benefit of doubt. Consider it my contribution to the site by demonstrating more tolerance to other posters and not making JtC's head explode in a thread where he already had enough to contend with.

#13
issues. i think the poster has a very clear agenda, and is carrying out a well-controlled rhetorical assault on behalf of that agenda.

the poster certainly has a problem, but i won't let him off the hook by labeling it as a general behavioral quirk.

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2 users have voted.

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If we surrendered to earth's intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees
~ Rainer Maria Rilke